Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Fatah calls for violence: Israel threatens Hamas

Local terrorist group Fatah (previously known as the PLO) is reemerging following several years of domination by Hamas in Gaza and the West Bank:

"Fatah Returns to Violence"

Nearly 200 Fatah leaders and Israeli leftists rioted late Wednesday morning near a military prison near Jerusalem and stoned Israeli soldiers and police, wounding two Border Police officers.

The violent riot was in protest of Sunday’s arrest of Abbas Zaki, a senior member of Fatah, led by Palestinian Authority PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. Zaki and a dozen others were arrested near Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem after storming an Israeli checkpoint during a march, and he has refused to appear in an Israeli military court.

Abbas recently has told English-speaking media he is against violence but in Arabic media he has encouraged “resistance,” a code word for violence and terrorist attacks.



"Israel 'will not tolerate' continuing Hamas buildup: Sees War as Inevitable"

Israel now considers the prospect of another war with the Hamas regime all but inevitable.

Officials said the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been briefed by the military on the renewed Hamas threat from the Gaza Strip. They said most of the Cabinet agreed that Israel must be prepared for a major operation in the Gaza Strip.

"Sooner or later we will liquidate the military regime of the pro-Iranian Hamas which controls the Gaza Strip," Israeli Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz said.


Every day we see more and more build-up to war. Whether it is missiles being shipped to Hezbollah, Hamas launching more and more rockets into Israeli cities, rhetoric of war, Israel making threats to send military into Gaza, the Arab League's recent threats, the "Quartet" threatening to impose new borders upon Israel, while dividing Jerusalem --- it is hard to get through a single day without such reports.

The Middle East is moving rapidly towards major inevitable conflicts - conflicts that will reshape the world either during the beginning of the Tribulation, or as a precursor leading into the Tribulation. Either way, it is approaching. As Jesus so passionately warned - we must be ready, by watching and being prepared spiritually (Matthew 24:42, 24:44, 25:13, Luke 21:28, 21:31, 21:36, Mark 13:23, 13:33, 13:35, 13:35, 13:36).

The time is coming - we must follow Jesus' warnings and teachings and do as He said:

"If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: Watch!" (Mark 13:37)

Persecution

As so many prophetic events unfold while we watch the approach of the Tribulation, it is easy to put stories of persecution on a back burner. However, persecution of the body of believers in Christ is ongoing and increasing in scope. In so many places in the world, Christianity is not only not accepted, but imprisonment, torture, beatings and death is the order of the day. Just a few stories from the last couple of weeks:

"LAOS: Katin Christians Endure"


A group of Christians who were expelled from Katin village in January were again urged to recant their faith in Jesus Christ on March 15, according to The Voice of the Martyrs contacts. The believers have been living in makeshift shelters about 4 miles outside the village, where they were abandoned in January without food or shelter.

“At noon [on March 15] … seven Katin believers were summoned to the district office of Ta-Oyl district,” VOM contacts reported. “The district head of Ta-Oyl, Mr. Bounma, urged the Katin believers to reconsider their decision to follow the Christian faith.” When the Christians again refused to renounce their faith, the district head stated that although the Lao constitution and law provide for freedom of religion in Laos, he is not going to allow Christianity in his district. The Katin believers later learned that the officials planned to burn down their temporary shelters along with 11 temporary homes at the site where they were taken in January.



"MOROCCO: Christians Deported"


In recent weeks, the Moroccan government has continued its crackdown on Christians, expelling as many as 60 Christian aid workers from the country, according to Smyrna Ministries International.


“On March 8, police visited the orphanage Village of Hope, which has been operating with the government’s approval for the past ten years,” Smyrna Ministries International said. “They scoured the grounds looking for Bibles, interrogated children and staff members and announced that the parents had seven hours to pack and say goodbye to their adopted children. All fifteen of the foster parents, the only parents these children have ever known, were deported before nightfall, leaving the 33 children with the police.”

Following this raid, government authorities reportedly targeted believers across Morocco. “When [authorities] visited an American-founded orphanage in the town of Azrou, they drew several young children aside and demanded they demonstrate the ‘proper’ way to pray,” Smyrna Ministries International added. “In Marrakesh, authorities arrested a Korean-born Protestant pastor during his Sunday service, and in the northern city of Larache they deported an Egyptian church leader.”



"INDIA: Pastor Brutally Attacked"


Pastor Ravi was attacked by more than 10 extremists, who forcibly entered a believer’s home where the pastor was holding a prayer meeting. “The extremists entered the house and began abusing the pastor and the believers gathered there,” VOM contacts said. “They hit the pastor with glass bottles, as well as kicking and punching him mercilessly, after which they disappeared from the venue.” Pastor Ravi suffered severe injuries to his leg and head.



The stories above represent just a small sample of the persecution news that we read on a daily basis - and foreshadowing of what is to come in the days ahead. Please remember to pray for our brothers and sisters who are living under the cloud of persecution every day of their lives, yet these incredibly brave Christians continue to preach the good news of Christ Jesus.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

News in brief

"CIA: Iran capable of producting nukes"

The CIA report is the latest official study expressing concern over Iran's continuing nuclear activities. The International Atomic Energy Agency on March 3 issued a report warning that continuing nuclear activities in violation of U.N. resolutions raise "concerns about the possible existence in Iran of past or current undisclosed activities related to the development of a nuclear payload for a missile."

On missiles, the report said Iran is building more short- and medium-range ballistic missiles and stated that "producing more capable medium-range ballistic missiles remains one of its highest priorities."

Three test flights of a new 1,240-mile-range Sejil missile were conducted in 2009, the report said, noting that assistance from China, North Korea and Russia "helped move Iran toward self-sufficiency in the production of ballistic missiles."

The report also said that Iran has the capability of producing both chemical and biological weapons, and Tehran continued to seek dual-use technology for its bioweapons program.



"AFP: Undersea volcano threatens southern Italy"

Europe's largest undersea volcano could disintegrate and unleash a tsunami that would engulf southern Italy "at any time", a prominent vulcanologist warned in an interview published Monday.

The Marsili volcano, which is bursting with magma, has "fragile walls" that could collapse, Enzo Boschi told the leading daily Corriere della Sera.

"Our latest research shows that the volcano is not structurally solid, its walls are fragile, the magma chamber is of sizeable dimensions," he said. "All that tells us that the volcano is active and could begin erupting at any time."

The event would result in "a strong tsunami that could strike the coasts of Campania, Calabria and Sicily," Boschi said.

It is 70 kilometres long and 30 kilometres wide, and its crater is some 450 metres below the surface of the Tyrrhenian Sea.
"A rupture of the walls would let loose millions of cubic metres of material capable of generating a very powerful wave," Boschi said.



"Strong quake hits north of Andaman islands, India"

A strong 6.4 magnitude quake struck on Tuesday north of the Andaman Islands, an area devastated by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

Conspiracy theories and prophecy

I visit multiple websites during the course of a day, for the purpose of prophecy watching. Many of these websites have information and commentaries that I disagree with, and I question their sources, yet I still look through them for several reasons. First, I have enough trust in the discernment given to us via the Holy Spirit and a strong dose of common sense. Many times from the various "conspiracy sites" you will find some useful information that contains truths for this age. I guess I am saying that I don't "throw out the baby with the bath water" in these instances.

Secondly - I believe many people supporting the mainstream-media and subsequent "group think" - go out of their way to label many people's thoughts, commentaries, websites, philosophies etc., as "conspiracy" as a means to dismiss these ideas - ideas which may threaten the status-quo of whatever is being pushed by the MSM. I believe complete dismissal of so-called "conspiracy" ideas leads to incomplete information - again, in search for the truth. As a reminder, these same people dismiss most of US (prophecy watchers) as "conspiratorial" - and as a result, so many people refuse to even take a quick glimpse at biblical prophecy.

I like to review whatever is being discussed in the media for a variety of reasons - one reason is to simply have an awareness of what is being discussed in our communities (whether I agree or not) and to perhaps find some truth that is otherwise difficult to find. Again, I trust my abilities to discern, thus I am not scared off from reading various opinions.

The truth is elusive these days - in fact, if I had to single out one aspect of these last days that seems unique, I would have to say that it is the lack of truth in the news media - and the difficulty in getting to the truth.

As mentioned many months ago - the whole Swine Flu scare/hysteria never made sense. Had it been "real", it would have made for an interesting story-line in the context of "pestilence". However, the only problem was - the swine flu never came remotely close to the pandemic that the media and government's around the world hyped. That always perplexed me. If you look at the numbers - whether those numbers were people becoming sick from swine flu, the number of deaths, etc., - the swine flu seemed far milder than the usual seasonal flu that we all deal with annually.

So why the hype?

That leads to today's article as found on Jane Burgermeister's website theflucase",
which has been diligently following the swine flu scenario among other things - again, I do not endorse this site, but there are occasionally some interesting stories, and back during the ginned up "crisis" around the swine flu, I found some invaluable information on this site that was otherwise unobtainable.

This article puts an interesting perspective on the whole "crisis" around the swine flu - something that has concerned me for nearly a year now.

"The Swine Flu and the Global One World Government"

Some quotes from this lengthy article:

On October 16, 2009, the CFR held a symposium titled: Pandemic Influenza: Science, Economics, and Foreign Policy.

Much of the information in this symposium report is window dressing. However, it’s worth noting a few comments made by presenters:


So two points were established early on: the Swine Flu is a mild disease, not a pandemic by any sensible definition; and leaders of “our age of globalisation” must be prepared for a more drastic disease event by taking worldwide measures now.

This latter issue is highlighted by another contributing CFR speaker:

“It was the overarching consensus of the symposium, first forwarded in the gathering by Financial Times correspondent Andrew Jack of London, that the current pandemic must serve as ‘a teachable moment’, focusing expert attention on the inherent contradictions in global governance of health issues, inequities in world access to vaccines and medical supplies, weaknesses in planning and management of epidemics with worldwide risks for economics and politics, and the public’s respect for science and public health.”

Andrew Jack thus punches up the notion that solutions to so-called global health problems can only be attained through international means.

These speakers are talking about a vast system, a medical bureaucracy that can oversee planning and execution of “epidemic control” on a global scale.

Before citing more statements from the CFR symposium, let me offer some numbers on these “waves of world illness” we have endured over the last 15 years or so. Keep in mind that epidemics are the primary justification for internationalisation of a medical monarchy.

Total cases and deaths:

SARS – 8,096 cases – 774 deaths.

WEST NILE – 27,836 cases – 1,088 deaths.

BIRD FLU – 262 deaths.



SWINE FLU – On April 26, 2009, with 20 cases of Swine Flu in the US and no deaths, the US Dept. of Health and Human Services declared a nationwide public health emergency.

The WHO changed its definition of pandemic so that “enormous numbers of deaths and illness” was removed from the definition. This happened in May 2009.

Thus far, WHO estimates about 8,200 deaths from Swine Flu, worldwide. That would average out to about 15,000 deaths for the year. But the CDC claims 36,000 people die every year from ordinary flu in the US alone.

Fear mongering is about NEW diseases. That’s why.

It gets worse.

In early November, an explosive report by Sharyl Attkisson hit the CBS News website: Of all the probable or suspected swine flu cases in California actually tested by state labs since July 2009, based on 13,704 tests, only 2% of the patients had Swine Flu. 12% had some other kind of flu. And a whopping 86% didn’t have flu at all.

In Florida, based on 8,853 tests for suspected/probable Swine Flu, only 17% had Swine Flu. 83% were negative for other flu. So 83% didn’t have ANY kind of flu.

In Alaska, based on 722 tests for suspected/probable Swine Flu, only 11% had Swine Flu. In Georgia, based on 3,117 tests, only 2% had Swine Flu.

My point here is this: All these recent “epidemics” have been outright fakes. The numbers of cases and deaths are miniscule compared with older traditional illnesses – for which no pandemic emergencies have been declared.

Twenty years ago, when I was writing my first book, AIDS INC., I realised that medical propaganda could be used as a pre-eminent tool in controlling populations, because doctors and public health bureaucrats exude an air of political neutrality.

These esteemed figures appear to have no agenda of a political or economic nature. They speak as minor saints. They always “care and share.” When they say citizens must take certain actions to protect themselves and their loved ones, they speak with great authority.



WHO & CFR: Globalise “humanitarian solutions

The CFR is part of a sophisticated operation to globalise “humanitarian solutions” under the rubric of medical care. Its main ally is the World Health Organisation, an agency of the UN. Near the close of World War II, members of the CFR were, in fact, tapped to write the basic outline of the soon-to-be created UN.

The WHO is on the march. It is trying to insert itself and its rulings and demands into the governments of many nations. In 2003, it won its biggest one-shot victory. Through fraudulent travel advisories, based on non-science, it raised fears about SARS (at best, a tiny illness) and managed to effectively shut down air travel in and out of Toronto. Toronto lost several billion dollars in the process. I was a peripheral part of a budding effort to convince local business owners to file a lawsuit. At first, there was some enthusiasm, but then it faded out. The people of Toronto knuckled under, some of them lost their shirts, and they plowed on.


The WHO is, by far, the most successful agency of the UN. It has emerged as the rising star of that moribund organisation. It has delivered victories because it is flying under the banner of medical power. The modern priesthood.

CFR, its inner core, is well aware that medical control is a trump card it can play to great advantage. The October Symposium was an event with such an edge.

This is no one-time takeover by force. This is no crashing coup. In intelligence-agency parlance, it’s a step-operation. A little progress here, a little progress there. Speakers at the Symposium called Swine Flu “a teaching moment.” By this they meant two things. This mild flu gives CFR and its allies a chance to expand their global influence, through the expansion of public-health agencies, most notably WHO and the American CDC. And the population of the planet is “taught” to respect so-called epidemics and the resulting missives that come down from their leaders.

The pace of these fake epidemics and the accompanying media propaganda is quickening. There is an ultimate vision here that at least a few major power players entertain: subsume every citizen of planet Earth under a network of authoritarian medical control – as part of a global-management political system.

If, over the next 10 or 20 years, CFR and its allies, with direct intent or even blind do-good hope, make large strides toward globalising a medical bureaucracy that would oversee the “health of the planet,” consider what that will do, what consequences that will have.


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Again, I am not endorsing this article, nor this site. However - I believe during this age, it is important to take in information from as many sources as possible and let the discernment that comes with the Holy Spirit take over.

I don't know if any or all of the thoughts contained in this commentary are true or not.

But I do know that the Swine flu was ridiculously hyped and I do know that the WHO changed their "bookkeeping" in a clumsy, overt way, in order to grossly inflate the Swine Flu numbers, and even with this inflation, the Swine flu didn't come close to the ominous, deadly virus that was hyped.

I believe there has to be an underlying reason for this insanity and false hype around these ginned up "pandemics".

So what is the reason behind this man-made, media-hyped hysteria?

I don't know, but perhaps the article above touches on some truths around the situation.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Arab League: Israel doesn't exist

Well, thats what they stated again at the conclusion of its 22nd summit.

The Arab League repeated their longstanding policies (which somehow, mysteriously receives no recognition by the mainstream-media) which resulted from their recent meeting.

The article below is very informative, yet unfortunately it won't be acknowledged by the vast majority of U.S. and European citizens:

Arab League Summit Focused on Jerusalem, "Resistance"

The Arab League concluded its 22nd summit in Libya on Sunday without any changes from its longstanding policies: no to recognizing Israel under any conditions, yes to armed resistance (aka terror) against Israel, no condemnation of genocide in Darfur, yes to Arab Jerusalem, and more. A follow-up meeting will be held in October


Is it just me, or does it strike anyone else as odd that the so-called "Peace Process" will ultimately require the approval of many countries in the Arab League - despite the fact that they are very public in their hatred of Israel as shown in the statements above. How do you attempt to make "peace" with a group who refuses to even recognize your existence?

The article continues:

The League determined that if Israel were to give the PA control over all areas controlled by Egypt and Jordan from 1948 to 1967 – Judea, Samaria, Gaza, and much of Jerusalem – the Arab League would support peace. However, the League would not recognize Israel as a Jewish state.


Note that last statement: The Arab League will "support peace" (whatever that means), IF Israel concedes a huge part of its shrinking land mass. BUT (and it's a rather large "but"), they will continue to refuse to recognize Israel's right to exist.

Good luck finding these quotes in the mainstream media. I tell these facts to people commonly, and they typically believe that I am making it up - because it's just "not true". Many folks, for some reason, cannot believe that these Arab nations refuse to acknowledge Israel's right to exist, despite the fact that this information is easily found in the news - almost weekly - and as seen, it is information that the Arab nations have been quite open about. They don't hide this fact, yet many people in the U.S. still refuse to believe it.

More quotes:


As the summit opened, Arab leaders agreed to give the Palestinian Authority $500 million to “fight Judaization” in Jerusalem and promote its own interests in the city.

No to Terrorism – just call it "Resistance"

The Arab League also condemned terrorism, but then redefined the word “terrorism” to exclude attacks intended to “resist occupation.” The change in terminology effectively gives the green light to groups such as Hamas, Fatah, and Hizbullah, which justify their attacks on Israeli civilians by saying that Israel was established on Arab land.

The League also called for compensation for Libya over losses it sustained due to Western sanctions following the Lockerbie bombing. It supported Syria in its demand that Israel hand over control of the strategic Golan region, which was annexed to Israel following the 1967 Six Day War.


In a related article we see the following:

"Arab League: Shun Israel or Else"


Arab League head Amr Moussa issued a warning Sunday to Arab countries to avoid normalizing ties with Israel until Israel gives in to the League's demands, which include a complete building freeze in Jewish communities in Judea, Samaria, and much of Jerusalem. Any country that warms its ties with Israel before Arab demands are met will face a “tough” response, Moussa said, speaking at a news conference in Egypt.

"If we discover that someone normalized ties with Israel, I believe the reaction across the Arab world would be very violent,” he clarified.


And this is the situation Israel must deal with, stemming from intense international pressure - making "peace" with these surrounding nations and terrorist groups - while being asked to give up more and more land - without a single demand on any other nation/state/terrorist group. And even if Israel does give up yet more of their land - they still won't even get a concession from the Arab States that they have a right to exist. Some deal.

Yet, we are supposed to believe that Israel is the obstruction to peace in the region. Go figure.

In the news...

There are a lot of interesting headlines today:

"Israel sees dramatic change in US relations in the near future"

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"Israel fears Obama heading for imposed Mideast settlement"


U.S. President Barack Obama's demands during his meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last Tuesday point to an intention to impose a permanent settlement on Israel and the Palestinians in less than two years, political sources in Jerusalem say.

But another key demand - to discuss the dispute's core issues during the indirect talks that are planned - is perceived in Jerusalem as problematic because it implies that direct negotiations would be bypassed. This would set up a framework through which the Americans would be able to impose a final settlement.

It is not just Obama's demands that are perceived as problematic, but also the new modus operandi of American diplomacy. The fact that the White House and State Department have been in contact with Israel's European allies, first and foremost Germany, is seen as part of an effort to isolate Israel and put enormous political pressure on it.

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"Barak: Israel alone willdecide issues of 'national importance'"

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"Israel to focus on key Iran nuclear targets in any strike"

Israel's advanced F-15 and F-16 warplanes have the range to bomb western Iran and strike further inland with air-to-air refueling and using stealth technology to pass through the air space of intermediate hostile Arab nations.

Israel could also launch Jericho ballistic missiles with conventional warheads, according to a 2009 report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

Israel's three German-built Dolphin submarines are believed to be capable of carrying conventional and nuclear-tipped cruise missiles. They would have to transit through Egypt's Suez Canal -- as one did last year -- to reach the Gulf.

Special forces might be deployed to spot targets and possibly launch sabotage attacks. Israel has also been developing "cyber warfare" capabilities and could use this together with other activities by Mossad secret service agents on the ground, security sources say.


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"SCENARIOS - Global impact if Israel strikes Iran"

This is a very interesting article which includes several potential scenarios and the consequences of each scenario, including:

- No immediate reaction
- Proxy Retaliation
- Missiles strike Israel
- Closing Hormuz
- Sparking wider conflict

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Last but not least - it is very interesting to continue reading about the strong push to build the Third Temple - something that will occur sometime prior to the mid-point in the Tribulation, when we know the antichrist will stand in the rebuilt temple and proclaim himself as god:

"New Campaign: Build the Third Temple"

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Nothing new today, overall. We just see a progression of the many things discussed before. Thats the key idea: progression. We know that birth pains always progress and rarely, reverse course once the labor progresses to the point of frequent/intense contractions. And that is where we are today - frequent and intense contractions.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

U.S. opposes Israel at every opportunity

It has become painfully apparent that the current U.S. administration is doing everything in its power to harm Israel and assist Israel's enemies.

We'll see how that works out. Now we see how the Obama administration is trying to take down Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu simply because his administration won't comply with the division of Jerusalem and they refuse to give away more Israeli land:

"More U.S. machinations against Israel"


Apparently the U.S. is making additional demands of Israel, in behalf of the Arabs.

It is demanding that Israel turn over the Abu Dis area, abutting Jerusalem, for the Palestinian Authority (P.A.) to turn into its capital. The U.S. supposedly wants to set a 2-year deadline for negotiation, at the conclusion of which, the P.A. would become sovereign. The U.S. also demands that Israel release 2,000 convicted terrorists.

Baring the whole U.S. strategy provides further evidence that the recent U.S.-Israel rift was engineered by the U.S., primarily in order to get Israeli concessions along the way to the full U.S. scheme for Israel.

As a result of the U.S. scheme, Israel would have no secure borders. So, an Arab alliance is indeed likely, but not to attack Iran, but finally to conquer Israel. The State Dept. will have succeeded in its decades-old goal of getting Israel to surrender enough strategic area so that the Arabs can deliver the final coup-de-tete and the U.S. would be thought to have clean hands
.

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In a related article we see the following:

"Obama pressure creating political turmoil in Jerusalem"


Israel's government coalition may be on the verge of collapse thanks to last week's unprecedented pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by US President Barack Obama.

The left-wing Labor Party, which has more or less stood by Netanyahu until now, has demanded that the prime minister bring the opposition Kadima Party into the coalition in order to mend the current rift with Washington.

Senior Labor ministers said Obama's demand that Netanyahu extend indefinitely the Jewish building freeze in Judea and Samaria had given them the opportunity to test the prime minister and his ruling Likud Party.

The freeze is scheduled to expire in September, at which point many Labor lawmakers said they would have fought hard to extend it. But Obama wants Netanyahu's commitment on the matter now.

Labor ministers say the only way forward considering the current situation is for Netanyahu to kick some of his more right-wing coalition partners out of the government and offer Kadima leader Tzipi Livni enough influence and power to entice her to join.

Israeli commentators have suggested that is what Obama wanted all along, since Kadima and Labor are far more in line with Washington's policies of creating a Palestinian state in nearly all of Judea and Samaria with the eastern half of Jerusalem as its capital.


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Fortunately, I have my wife nearby to remind me that God is in complete control over these matters. Thats true. In fact I always want to go back and reference Psalm 33 during times like this:

"The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.

From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind;
from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth -

he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.

No king is saved by the size of his army;
no warrior escapes by his great strength.

But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.

We wait in hope for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.

In him our hearts rejoice for we trust in his holy name.

May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord
even as we put our hope in you"


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It is hard to watch these current events - watching the demise of the U.S. - watching the U.S. administration turn against our previous allies while helping terrorists who desire to destroy Israel - wondering when (not if) Genesis 12:3 and Zechariah 12 becomes a factor as a result. Its hard.

However, this is the time to look up and focus squarely on God and His plan for the Church, and for the world. God has a plan and everything that we see happening in the world is part of His divine plan.

As my wife tells me (and she is absolutely correct) - we know how this story ends, and we win. Period.

Maranatha!

Our redemption is coming soon!

God Bless and keep looking up!

Saturday, March 27, 2010

War Preparations in the Middle East

"Syria stands ready if "war is imposed"

In this article:

Damascus stands ready if "war is imposed" by Israel as regional tensions rise and hopes for peace fade, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told Lebanese television Wednesday.

"We are faced with an enemy that has shown until this day that it understands nothing but the language of force, and it seems that peace in the region is not in the horizon," Assad said in an interview in Arabic with the Hezbollah-run Al-Manar television late Wednesday.

His statement came amid heightened tension in the region and concern in Lebanon over recent Israeli threats against Shiite militant party Hezbollah and its backers Syria and Iran.


"Damascus" needs to be careful with their rhetoric at this time in history. Very careful. Isaiah 17 is as predictable as any other biblical prophecy - specific, accurate, and highly literal. And it will happen, it is just a matter of time.

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In a separate article, this one from the Jerusalem Post, Arab league chief Amr Moussa states: "We must prepare for failure of the peace process"

Quotes:


Arab league chief says the situation "has reached a turning point"; Abbas: No peace deal while e. J'lem occupied; Erdogan calls Israeli policy on east Jerusalem "madness."

“We must prepare for the possibility that the peace process will be a complete failure,” Moussa said. “This is the time to stand up to Israel. We must find alternative options, because the situation appears to have reached a turning point.”

Speaking at the event, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said there would be no peace agreement without ending the occupation of Palestinian land, first and foremost east Jerusalem. He accused Prime Minster Binyamin Netanyahu's government of trying to create a de facto situation in Jerusalem that would torpedo any future peace settlement.

Abbas added that conflict in Jerusalem was dangerous and could ignite the entire Middle East.

Erdogan said that the Israeli position defining the whole of Jerusalem as its united capital was “madness.” Israeli construction in east Jerusalem was completely unjustified, he said.


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Once again, we see the real centerpiece of the entire peace process: Jerusalem - as predicted ~ 2,500 years ago. Amazing.

Also of note in this article is the thinly veiled threat contained in Moussa's quotes. If the peace process is considered as a failure, then warfare would predictably ensue - as, according to the enemies of Israel - the only thing preventing full scale war is the ongoing peace process.

Of course, in reality, the main intent of this "peace process" is to coax Israel into giving up as much land as possible before the next invasion, which is inevitable. If the terrorists groups/states were to occupy the Golan Heights, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, any future war against Israel would be far more favorable strategically and militarily to Israel's enemies.

One must always remember that the primary goal in the region remains - as always - the complete destruction of Israel. The so-called peace process is simply a means to create favorable conditions for yet another invasion of Israel.

Watching the Middle East right now is like watching two trains traveling towards each other - on the same track. A collision is inevitable, its just a matter of time before the two trains collide. At some point in the near future we will see Damascus destroyed, presumably during warfare between Israel and some combination of Syria-Lebanon-Hezbollah. Within that general timeframe the world will also see a massive invasion attempted against Israel - an invasion which will be thwarted by God Himself - directly and obviously. We seem to be moving rapidly towards these conflicts. Very rapidly.

More rocket fire from Gaza: Tensions escalate in Israel

"IDF Soldier fights for his life"

Quotes:


Two IDF soldiers killed in southern Strip, two others wounded; at least 1 Palestinian killed, about a dozen wounded; Barak warns of "ramifications" for Hamas.

Meanwhile on Saturday, hostilities in the Gaza Strip continued on as two Kassam rockets were fired at Israel. One fell inside the Strip, while the other exploded near a kibbutz in the Sha'ar Hanegev area.

On Friday evening, Major Eliraz Peretz, 31, from Eli, deputy commander of the Golani Brigade's Battalion 12 and Staff Sergeant Ilan Sviatkovsky from Rishon Lezion, were killed in the southern Gaza Strip. The IDF made the announcement several hours after clashes between the IDF and armed Palestinians occurred near the town of Khan Yunis.

In a hint of warning, the prime minister added "Israel's strong positions against those wishing to harm its civilians and soldiers - are well known."

Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned on Friday that were Hamas to "loosen its grip" on terrorist activity in the Gaza Strip, there would be "ramifications." Speaking to Channel 2, he said Hamas - which claimed responsibility for the ambush in which Peretz and Sviatkovsky were killed - would be held accountable for terrorist activity in the Strip.



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So we can easily see that this most recent skirmish shows no signs of dying down anytime soon.

In the midst of this escalating conflict we see more evidence that the U.S.-Israeli problems continue to grow:

"At the root of the rift"

In a strikingly critical piece in The Washington Post on Thursday, Jackson Diehl, the paper’s former Jerusalem correspondent, accused Obama of adding “more poison to a US-Israeli relationship that already was at its lowest point in two decades. Tuesday night the White House refused to allow nonofficial photographers record the president’s meeting with Netanyahu; no statement was issued afterward. Netanyahu is being treated as if he were an unsavory Third World dictator, needed for strategic reasons but conspicuously held at arms length."

Netanyahu slammed back that “The Jewish people were building Jerusalem 3,000 years ago and the Jewish people are building Jerusalem today.

Turning to the matter of Iran, he asserted, “It is better to go to war than to allow the Holocaust to develop a second time. I hope and pray that other options will work...”


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Netanyahu must know by now that the so-called "sanctions" won't work. Iran's leadership have literally laughed at the idea of these weak sanctions - and has promised repeatedly that they will continue to their race to develop nuclear weapons in order to realize Ahmadinejad's obsession with the complete annihilation of Israel. That fact is conveniently forgotten by "The Nations", but it isn't forgotten by Israel. After all, their very existence is at stake.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Deadly Fighting Erupts Along Israel-Gaza Border

Israeli troops and Palestinian gunmen engage in "fierce shootout":

Officials on both sides said at least two Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers were killed, while two other Israeli soldiers were injured. Reports indicate civilians also were hurt.

The violence is among the worst in Gaza since Israel's offensive against Gaza at the end of 2008. Witnesses said the intense fighting kept ambulances from reaching the wounded.

The militant group Hamas said its members opened fire after Israeli forces crossed the border and advanced about 500 meters into Gaza. The Israelis said the first exchange of gunfire was with militants trying to plant explosives near a border fence.

Israeli officials said its troops were supported by tanks and helicopter gunships.

The Israeli military said in a statement that it holds Hamas "solely responsible" for maintaining peace in the Gaza Strip.

After the fighting broke out, some Hamas officials claimed Friday that they had lured the Israeli forces into an ambush. And some witnesses said the battle began after an explosion near the Israeli forces.


This is a development worth watching as violence continues to increase in the region.

Iran says Muslims must act over Jerusalem

Once again we see Jerusalem in the headlines. No surprise there. A reuters article with this headline is of interest today:

"Iran says Muslims must act over Jerusalem"

This article is brief:

Announcements by Israel's right-wing government of new building projects in East Jerusalem -- which the Jewish state seized in a 1967 war -- have spoiled U.S. plans to get Palestinians and Israelis back into peace negotiations.

"Expansion of Israeli settlements, destruction of Islamic and Christian sites and wide-scale construction of new synagogues ... show the Zionist plans to accelerate Judaisation of East Jerusalem and unfortunately it is approved by American officials," Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said in comments reported on Iranian state radio.

"This has raised the alarm for all people around the world and doubled the need for Muslim and other countries to act seriously," he said, adding that the 22-nation Arab League should take a strong stance at its meeting in Libya this weekend.

U.S. officials have sought to coax Israel into suspending further East Jerusalem projects and discussing core issues such as borders and the status of Jerusalem as part of indirect talks with the Palestinians that have been blessed by the Arab League.

Iran is locked in dispute with the United States and its allies, including Arab states, over its nuclear energy program which they fear will allow Tehran to develop nuclear weapons. Iran says it has no such intention.

Israel says it considers a nuclear Iran as an existential threat and analysts say Israel, itself regarded as a nuclear power, could carry out raids on Iranian sites.

Iran, a major oil and gas producer, sees itself as the main champion of the Palestinian cause among Muslim countries.


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Interestingly, note the second article today, which also references Iran:


"U.S. Softens Sanction Plan Against Iran"

A couple of quotes characterize this article:

The U.S. has backed away from pursuing a number of tough measures against Iran in order to win support from Russia and China for a new United Nations Security Council resolution on sanctions, according to people familiar with the matter.

Among provisions removed from the original draft resolution the U.S. sent to key allies last month were sanctions aimed at choking off Tehran's access to international banking services and capital markets, and closing international airspace and waters to Iran's national air cargo and shipping lines, according to the people.


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Note the contrast.

While the U.S. administration continues to put Israel in a corner and while the U.S. administration continues to turn the screws on Israel - they ease up on Iran. Notice a trend here?

It is crystal clear that the U.S., in concert with Russia and China aren't serious about imposing meaningful sanctions on Iran. They are paying lip-service towards sanctions in order to tell the uninformed public that they are doing something, but in essence - they know nothing is being done to stop Iran and their nuclear development.

Once again, we see the world shaping up precisely as biblical prophecy would dictate. And again, we see a scenario where the U.S. is actively engaged in helping Israel's enemies while attempting to divide Jerusalem and recreate Israeli borders.

With this in mind, I highly recommend the following article by Jack Kelley (too long to post here):

"I will bless those who bless you"

God wasn't kidding around when He proclaimed that He would bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel. It was a definitive statement with no exclusions. Neither was He kidding around when He clearly stated in Zechariah 12 that those nations who attempt to divide ("move") Jerusalem would be "cut into pieces". Mr Kelley's article does a tremendous job of putting this into perspective.

Unfortunately, the U.S. is now on a path towards destruction. I don't see any signs that we are reversing course. God is watching and He cannot be pleased.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

U.S. - Israeli relationship worsens by the day

I cannot recall seeing such a huge divide between the U.S. and Israel. First, below are several news articles regarding the situation, which has been exacerbated by the recent meeting between President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. This meeting did not go well, to say the least and many reports are describing the treatment that Mr Netanyahu received from the White House as less than cordial (see quotes below).

Again, as mentioned before - biblical prophecy dictates that every nation will be aligned against Israel - leaving Israel with only one place to turn when they face their darkest hours - God. God alone will step in and deal with the attacks against Israel, not the U.S. This represents a necessary change from the past (as traditionally the U.S. has been Israel's strongest ally) in order to align with biblical prophecy, and we are seeing the changes exactly as predicted - the U.S. administration is certainly no friend of Israel at this time.

Following the links below is an excellent summary by Joel Rosenberg in its entirety:

"Netanyahu returns to Israel after failed talks with Obama"

"Obama, Netanyahu fail to resolve settlement row"

"Binyamin Netanyahu humilated after Barack Obama 'dumped him for dinner'

A few quick quotes from this article:

For a head of state to visit the White House and not pose for photographers is rare. For a key ally to be left to his own devices while the President withdraws to have dinner in private was, until this week, unheard of.

“It was awful,” the congressman said. One Israeli newspaper called the meeting “a hazing in stages”, poisoned by such mistrust that the Israeli delegation eventually left rather than risk being eavesdropped on a White House phone line

Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary, cast doubt on minor details in Israeli accounts of the meeting but did not deny claims that it amounted to a dressing down for the Prime Minister, whose refusal to freeze settlements is seen in Washington as the main barrier to resuming peace talks.

With the atmosphere so soured by the end of the evening, the Israelis decided that they could not trust the phone line they had been lent. Mr Netanyahu retired with his defence minister, Ehud Barak, to the Israeli Embassy to ensure the Americans were not listening in.


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Joel Rosenberg's commentary on this situation (link here):



EXCLUSIVE: WHAT’S HAPPENING BEHIND CLOSED DOORS IN THE OBAMA-NETANYAHU MEETINGS? NETANYAHU STOOD HIS GROUND.




Israeli PM Netanyhu and Defense Minister Barak leaving the White House Tuesday night after tense meetings with the President.


(First posted: Washington, D.C, March 24, 2010, 9:35pm eastern. Updated at 8:15am, March 25) – What in the world was going on behind the scenes of the Obama-Netanyahu meetings? Why were the talks so tense, and so shrouded in secrecy? Wednesday night, I was able to gain some clues. It’s not good.

The Obama administration has been applying intense and unprecedented pressure on the Netanyahu government to make huge unilateral concessions to the Palestinians even before direct peace talks begin. One advisor who has been briefed on the talks told me: “President Obama is insisting that Israel sign a document that specifies Israel’s commitment to a peace deal with the Palestinians that will be based on 1967 lines. This means no building in Jerusalem, and a time table to address other core issues, like the ‘right of return.’” The source, one that I trust a great deal, also noted that President Obama spoke by phone in the last 24 hours with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to make sure each of them are on board with pressuring the Israelis to make such unprecedented unilateral concessions. The White House apparently wants the document to become the blueprint for final status negotiations, even though the Palestinians refuse even to come to the table and sit down face-to-face with Israeli leaders, including Netanyahu.

The Netanyahu team delayed their departure out of Washington Wednesday afternoon to continue meeting almost non-stop together at the Israeli Embassy. Several key officials also met with special Mideast envoy George Mitchell and other key administration officials. The team finally left for Israel late Wednesday night. Thus far, a virtual news blackout has been imposed on President Obama’s meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.

The good news: Netanyahu had a very good week. He looked strong and principled. He was gracious and diplomatic. And he stood his ground. He did not cave into the intense pressure from the White House and State Department. He refused to divide Jerusalem. In a masterful AIPAC speech, he calmly and clearly explained why Israel would never give up the right to build homes in her capital. He sent the U.S. and the world a straightforward and sobering message that if they don’t move quickly and decisively to stop Iran from getting the Bomb, then Israel will do it herself. He didn’t threaten. He didn’t swagger. He simply stated the facts, in their historic context, and nobody does it better than Netanyahu. What’s more, he did all this with Defense Minister Ehud Barak standing in solidarity at his side, which was important because it sent the White House — and his critics back in Israel, and enemies back in Iran — the message that the Israeli government is united. No small thing. Barak came to Camp David with Yasser Arafat in 2000 willing carve up Jerusalem and give away the West Bank. God bless Netanyahu for opposing this approach in principle, and for having and (thus far, at least) maintaining Barak’s support in the process.

What’s more, the AIPAC speech, plus the warm and engaging meetings with Members of Congress significantly strengthened Netanyahu’s hand. It reconnected him in a very important way with grassroots pro-Israel activists from all over the U.S., Jews and Christians alike. It also significantly strengthened his alliance with Congress, which continues to prove itself as the pro-Israel end of Pennsylvania Avenue. Both are critical in counter-balancing the hostile Obama administration.

The President and Prime Minister met twice at the White House on Tuesday night for a total of about two hours, from 5:30pm to around 7pm, and then again from about 8:30pm to 9pm. Senior aides to both leaders then stayed up until nearly 1:00am Wednesday morning continuing their talks. The White House, however, has refused to treat Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak with the dignity and respect afforded other world leaders. No joint press conferences. No photo ops. No still shots released of the two leaders meeting. Pretty much ”no comment” to any of the substance.

The Netanyahu team, apparently following the request of the White House and trying to be sensitive to the desire of its host, hasn’t been talking either. On Wednesday morning, the Israelis canceled all interviews. Several news outlets have noted the silence related to the talks is “deafening,” and I agree. It’s hard to remember the last time a world leader of Netanyahu’s caliber — particularly a strong friend and ally of the United States — was subject to such treatment from an administration that claims to be hitting the “reset” button to improve relations between the two countries. Except for last year when Netanyahu came to Washington and also met with Obama without a photo op, press conference, or any of the diplomatic trappings of mutual respect and true friendship.

I believe that Netanyahu was wise to cancel his media interviews on Wednesday. He didn’t grandstand. He didn’t purposefully stick his finger in the President’s eye. Having effectively made his public case to AIPAC and Congress on Monday and Tuesday, Netanyahu, Barak and their team worked hard on Wednesday to show the administration their willingness to negotiate in good faith, and to do so without immediately and publicly airing their differences with the administration. That said, Netanyahu and his team should soon do many media interviews with U.S. and foreign media. He should also dispatch senior government officials to speak to Jewish and Christians groups throughout the U.S. in the weeks and months ahead. He has the support of the American people, but he should never take that for granted.

The central problem is the White House and State Department are trying to force Israel to divide Jerusalem and divide Judea & Samaria, commonly known as the West Bank. This is a mistake for numerous reasons, particularly because of Joel 3:1 in which the Lord says in the last days He will “enter into judgment” with “all the nations” because they have terribly mistreated the Jewish people “and they have divided up My land.”

Prophetically, I believe Israel will eventually be isolated from all countries in the world, especially as we approach the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38 & 39. Eventually, the Lord will wean Israel off of every nation – including the U.S. – so that the Jewish people only have Him to turn to and depend upon. That said, however, the Scriptures are clear in Genesis 12:1-3 and elsewhere that those who bless Israel, He will bless, and those who curse Israel, He will curse. We want our countries to be blessed by God, to experience repentance and revival and to be blessings to the rest of the world. Now, therefore, is the most critical time for true followers of Jesus Christ to show unconditional love and unwavering support to Israelis and to their Palestinian neighbors. We need to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. We need to show the love of Jesus to every Jew and Gentile in the Holy Land. And we need to strengthen the Church in the epicenter, encourage pastors and ministry leaders, and help them fulfill Isaiah 60:1-4.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

What does it all mean?

Jan Markell of Olive Tree Ministries has written an excellent summary of current events in the world today and puts her perspective on the same issues that we have been watching lately (also found on Mike Mickey's Rapture Alert site website):

"What does it all mean?":

The entire article is well worth reading but here are a few highlights:


I believe I have studied under the best of the best teachers when it comes to what the Bible lays out for us in the last days. Many are dazed at the rapid decline of America. The passage of health care wasn't about health care; rather, the socialization of America. America just came under the power of Saul Alinsky. But some of us, while grieved, look at the broader picture. So, this is how I see it.

Revelation, chapters 13 and 17, lays out a coming one-world political system, one-world leader, one-world religion, and a one-world financial system (cashless). We don't know when this will all be implemented, but we do know the biggest factor holding up the one-world order has been America, the superpower like no other.

So the bottom line is that America has been the primary obstacle to the one-world system. We see the decline of the dollar which has been one of the major currencies for decades, yet it stands in the way of a one-world economic/financial system.

Barack Obama and others say we are not a Christian nation, but that is nonsense because the church in America, in spite of its weaknesses today, stands in the way of the coming one-world religion. On the other hand, we have the apostate church in the U.S. which will go along with a one-world religion. As this is being written, there is an assault on everything Christian in America. It is to strip us of our godly heritage and rid the U.S. of as much Christianity as possible.

This scenario is scripted in the Bible by the inference that as America didn't exist in Bible times: America has to diminish and Europe must rise. The man who could best bring this about promised America and the world "hope and change" and the uninformed bought it hook, line, and sinker. But Barack Obama is just one player in this global chess game. Nonetheless, he gave the world an image that he was the new "world leader" during the 2008 campaign. This is what the world longs for: A "man with a plan." There needs to be a one-world leader but it is not him.

Capitalism must go and must be replaced by a socialized world. You say this will take decades. Look at what has happened in just over a year! So not only are we threatened from without by radical Islam, we are threatened from without and within by a group of intelligent globalists who are convincing America and the nations of the world that the only way to lasting world peace is the establishment of global government. And all nations will have to be equal for this to work efficiently.

This coming system is not some prophetically speculative or futuristic fairy tale, but a real world reality outlined in the Bible. It is not some whacko conspiracy theory being advanced by the fringe society. It's an orchestrated agenda which God had planned for before the foundations of the earth.

But America has not made it possible for the globalists to get their agenda through until now. We see that through the corrupt-to-the-core Obama administration, they are pressing forward to the prize -- a one-world system with America subservient to the European Union. We just don't know the timing, nor the timing of the return of our "blessed hope" Who remains our only hope.

Now, what is the good news? We can only change the world by changing the spirituality of a culture. In the meantime, we can contend for the faith, preach the gospel, and be salt and light to a frightened world. And since all of the above are scripted, the final act is as well. We can know with certainty that the King of kings is coming back very soon.


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The commentary above makes some very good points. Everything we see these days seems to be playing a part in paving the road to the Tribulation, including America taking a "backseat" to the rest of the world. It is a necessary aspect of these end times. And as stated above - everything that we see today reveals that the "King of kings" is indeed returning soon.

In the news...

"Israel hovers between war and peace"

Key Quotes:

Palestinian policy is clear-cut: get an internationally recognized state - with or without Israeli acceptance - by the end of end 2011. They know that the European Union is already on board with that calendar, and believe the US would move closer to accepting that approach, should Netanyahu continue to opt for obduracy.

Rightwing ideologues, the dominant force in the Netanyahu government, on the other hand, say Obama is gradually moving towards acquiescing in an Iranian bomb, and that Israel eventually will be left on its own to confront the threat.


There is that phrase that we keep seeing over and over, "...internationally recognized (palestinian) state - with or without Israeli acceptance"

This is verbiage that we have seen from the EU and from the usual terrorist groups surrounding Israel, and now the U.S. may be in this camp. Amazing. To think that the "nations" can divide Jerusalem, create new Israeli borders and a terrorist based "neighbor" state - all without the consent of Israel. I have to wonder what God thinks of this plan...On second thought, we know exactly how God feels about this - He clearly stated His opinion in Zechariah 12.

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"Berlin (EU) criticizes Israeli settlement policy"


EU foreign ministers universally condemned Israeli policies at a meeting on Monday in Brussels, but remained at odds on how to put more pressure on the country

But Carolin Goerzig, an analyst at the European Union Institute for Security Studies in Paris, told Deutsche Welle that if the EU wants to increase its leverage on Israel in order to stop the building of further settlements, the bloc should engage greater discussion with Hamas.


Unbelievable. Discuss the "peace plan" with the terrorist group who has been launching missiles into Israeli cities - civilian areas - and has formal statements which include calls for the total annihilation of Israel? Can this be serious? Unfortunately, in this world, during this age in which we are living - it is possible.

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"Israel threatens to block peace talks for a year"


Washington’s relations with Israel appeared to have reached a new low last night as the White House imposed a virtual news blackout on a meeting between President Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that followed an Israeli threat to delay peace talks by a year.

The meeting followed a similarly awkward encounter between Mr Netanyahu and Hillary Clinton, the Secretary of State, which was moved to the Prime Minister’s hotel suite at the last minute to keep it closed to reporters
.

It appears that U.S.-Israeli relationships are continuing to decline.

Also see a related article:

"Netanyahu, Clinton show no sign that Israeli-US gap has narrowed"


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And last but not least:


"Israel, undeterred, to build in East Jerusalem"


In a move sure to anger Palestinians and frustrate Western proponents of a freeze on settlement construction, a city official said approval was given to develop a flashpoint neighborhood from which Palestinians were evicted last year.

...on Monday he insisted before an audience of influential American Jews that "Jerusalem is our capital" and building will continue there as Israel sees fit.

n a comparatively rare public complaint, Saudi Arabia on Wednesday asked major powers involved in Middle East peace-making for "clarifications about Israel's arrogant policy and its insistence on defying international will."


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This situation is like watching two trains headed for a collision. The only question is when will the "collision" occur. As stated before, I believe its highly possible, if not probable that the upcoming summer months will have significant warfare in the region - whether it starts with Hamas (Gaza), Hezbollah (northern border), Syria (Golan Heights and Lebanon), or Iran. Pick one. Based upon the current rhetoric - it is hard to imagine that we can endure the summer months without seeing major conflict.

We shall see - summer is just around the corner.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Israel defies Obama over Jerusalem

That headline is found today in TimesOnline (notice how Jerusalem seems to be in almost every Middle East headline lately?):

"Israel defies Obama"



Israel will defy American pressure to halt the construction of controversial Jewish housing in Arab east Jerusalem, when President Obama meets Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel’s Prime Minister, in the White House today.

The status of the holy city is supposed to be negotiated as part of a final settlement between Israel and the Palestinians, who want the Arab side of the city to become the future capital of their state. Mr Barkat said that Jerusalem would remain the capital of the Jewish state. It is believed that Israel may be prepared to hold off for a matter of weeks to enable talks to resume with the Palestinians, but has ruled out a permanent freeze.

He was strongly backed last night by Mr Netanyahu, who offered an uncompromising defence of Israeli construction plans in east Jerusalem. "The connection between the Jewish people and Jerusalem cannot be denied," he told a conference in Washington. "The Jewish people were building Jerusalem 3,000 years ago and they are building Jerusalem today."


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In related news:

"Netanyahu: Jerusalem is not a Settlement: It's our Capital"



Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu challenged U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s strong anti-united Jerusalem stand and told a cheering American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) crowd Monday night, “Jerusalem is not a settlement; it’s our capital.”


He pointed out that Israel has made constant to the concessions to the United States and Palestinian Authority but drew the red line at Jerusalem, reasoning that building houses for Jews in all of united Jerusalem “in no way precludes the possibility of a two-state solution.”


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Also, a very well done commentary regarding the recent events in Israel:

"Lap dogs and lame ducks"


US President Barack Obama seems to have forgotten who America’s friends are. When it comes to tyrants like Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez, who dismantle their nations’ democracies and throw their political opponents in jail, or worse, Obama embraces them. And when it comes to Middle East dictators, like King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, who brutally oppress women, the president of the United States will literally bow before them, (he gave the same treatment to the emperor of Japan, even though Douglas MacArthur forced the emperor to renounce his divinity).

But if you’re the democratically elected prime minister of the Middle East’s only fully functioning democracy, and America’s most reliable ally, the president will sic his secretary of state on you if you don’t cave in to his demands. Who does Obama think Netanyahu is? His poodle?

JEWS SHOULD be allowed to live anywhere in Jerusalem, as should Arabs. Yet Israelis announce that Jewish housing will be added in Jerusalem and it provokes the biggest crisis in American-Israeli relations in recent memory. Meanwhile the Palestinians, led by Mahmoud Abbas, dedicate a square to Dalal Mughrabi, the 19-year-old female terrorist who helped carry out the deadliest terror attack in Israel’s history, and the Obama administration barely utters a protest. It’s enough to leave you scratching your head.

Mr. President, stop treating Israel with contempt. By putting all the burden on Israel to make peace, and making no demands on the Arabs to democratize, you not only undermine America’s commitment to liberty but scuttle your own efforts at peace. War between the Arabs and Israelis has raged for six decades because the former have always sought to destroy the latter. Israel has made endless concessions only to see its citizens die.


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In other, prophecy related news:

Iceland volcano eruption intensifies


ID Card for Workers at Center of Immigration Plan

Quotes:

Lawmakers working to craft a new comprehensive immigration bill have settled on a way to prevent employers from hiring illegal immigrants: a national biometric identification card all American workers would eventually be required to obtain.

Under the potentially controversial plan still taking shape in the Senate, all legal U.S. workers, including citizens and immigrants, would be issued an ID card with embedded information, such as fingerprints, to tie the card to the
worker.


The biggest objections to the biometric cards may come from privacy advocates, who fear they would become de facto national ID cards that enable the government to track citizens.


That is exactly right...I believe we will see more and more calls for a national, biometric card for all workers in the United States, especially with "immigration reform" next on the list for legislation in this country. Creating a general "acceptance" for such a card, in my opinion represents an ongoing conditioning for the ultimate identification method - known biblically as "The Mark of the Beast".

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Again, all the news that we see daily now confirm that the world is marching directly into the Tribulation. The stage is being set, the road is being paved and almost all current events gives strong indication that the Tribulation cannot be far off. There is a figure waiting in the wings for his moment to appear on the world stage - a stage that is ready and waiting for his arrival.

Monday, March 22, 2010

EU: Divide Jerusalem

The current situation regarding the "nations" dictating to Israel what they can and cannot do in their cities is amazing if you stop and think about it for a few minutes. Try to imagine any other place in the world where the "nations" can collectively dictate what another nation can or cannot do in their cities. Can you imagine, for instance, Cuba and Russia attempting to tell the U.S. that no construction could take place in certain areas of Miami? Or the arab states telling France that they cannot add construction in Muslim areas of Paris? Of course not, it is unthinkable. But this happens to Israel daily.

Today we see the EU jumping on the bandwagon and coming out against Israel:

EU official to Israel: Jerusalem is not Tel Aviv"

That quote and title above is a response to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu saying that Israel has every right to build in Jerusalem, just as they do in Tel Aviv.

This evoked a fairly predictable response (at least in today's world) from the revived Roman Empire's foreign-policy director, Catherine Ashton and Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn:

"There's a lot to discuss on ... how we can keep the pressure on to get the proximity talks moving ... We think that the settlements should stop, most importantly we believe the talks should begin," the EU's foreign-policy director, Catherine Ashton, said.

Ashton was talking shortly after returning from her first official visit to the Middle East.

The EU is "very disappointed by the position of the Israeli government, I think I can say very clearly that Jerusalem is not Tel Aviv," said Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn, stressing the EU's position that Jerusalem should function as the capital of both the Israeli and a future Palestinian state.

Asselborn's comment was in reference to a declaration made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a day earlier: "Our policy on Jerusalem is the same policy followed by all Israeli governments for the 42 years, and it has not changed," Netanyahu said. "As far as we are concerned, building in Jerusalem is the same as building in Tel Aviv."


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As a nice follow-up to the article above, the most recent "Nearing Midnight" commentary (this one by Todd Strandberg) does a tremendous job of characterizing the situation that we see today:


"Why all the Fuss Over Jerusalem?"


U.S.-Israel relations have reached their worst point in 35 years. The rift was triggered by the Israeli Interior Ministry approving the construction of 1600 new homes in east Jerusalem--even though the U.S. had sought a freeze on all such building in areas conquered by Israel in 1967.

The announcement came as Vice President Joe Biden was visiting Israel. Because the VP wasn't warned in advance, the move was seen as a slap in the face. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted that stupidity, not malice, was at fault. The planning committee had made the decision on its own. Biden responded by turning up 90 minutes late for dinner with Netanyahu and his wife and then delivering a sharp statement of condemnation.

That would have been the end of it if Hillary hadn't picked up the phone. She called Netanyahu and chewed him out for 45 minutes, saying his plans to build new settler homes in east Jerusalem sent a "deeply negative signal."

The last time Israel and America came to similar blows was in March of 1975. Then U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger demanded a partial withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula, and Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin refused. Because of his refusal, Kissinger left a meeting with Rabin in anger and accused Israel of "shattering the cause of peace."

If you were thinking the reason of the objection was that Israel was building on Arab lands, you would be wrong. The project is within an area the Palestinians already ceded to the Jews in previous talks. The outrage is all about symbolism. Going ahead with the project shows Israel 's lack of concern for the peace process.

When did we get the option of having veto power over what goes on in Israel? I don't know of any other example of one nation telling another how to manage the affairs of its city construction projects. If we objected to Great Britain planning new apartments in London, the British government would be baffled first--and then it would tell us to mind our own business.

The dispute over Jerusalem must be one of the longest stand-offs in human history. Jerusalem has been the Jewish capital for 3,000 years. If the Palestinians had any common sense, they would go pick some other city as their capital. After all, their connection to Jerusalem is based on a series of lies. There never was a Palestinian people, nation, language, culture, or religion.

Back on March 31, 1977, the Dutch newspaper Trouw published an interview it had with Palestine Liberation Organization executive committee member Zahir Muhsein. This is what he had to say:

The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today, there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians, and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct "Palestinian people" to oppose Zionism.

For tactical reasons, Jordan , which is a sovereign state with defined borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa, while as a Palestinian, I can undoubtedly demand Haifa , Jaffa , Beer-Sheva and Jerusalem . However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine , we will not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and Jordan.

The reason there is a fuss over Jerusalem is that God has claimed this city as His eternal capital. Satan is doing everything he can to wrestle control away from the Jews. The diplomatic struggle we see now will eventually lead to open warfare against all of Israel.

Bible prophecy promises calamity for any nation that comes against Jerusalem. I believe a key reason America's economy has stumbled in recent years is the pressure we’ve been placing on Israel. Now that the Obama administration has decided to increase the pressure, I would expect to see greater trembling in the land.

Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. (Zech. 12:2-3)

Meanwhile, in the Middle East...

As we watch the U.S. moving more and more towards the perfect end times government structure (including withdrawing from any support of Israel - but full-fledged support for Israel's enemies, draconian military cuts which are inevitable now that money will be required for the new healthcare system, a ongoing weakening from being a world power, etc. etc. etc.), we turn our eyes to the Middle East.
America must decline as we approach the Tribulation, for a variety of prophetic reasons - notably, the book of Revelation spends considerable amounts of text on the world powers and the U.S. isn't mentioned once - not even a vague reference. Enough said about that.

The Jerusalem Post has a very well done summary of the situation, as it stands today, in the Middle East. This is fascinating, because it could have been written by a "prophecy watcher" - with one eye on prophecy and the other eye on the news, but it isn't. This is a mainstream article not written (intentionally) from a prophetic perspective, but it sure could have been:

"The Region: Meanwhile, in the ME..."


While the Obama administration is fiddling over the construction of apartments in Jerusalem, the Middle East is burning. Yet these other issues don’t attract the attention – and certainly not the action – required.

Iran is now allied with al-Qaida. Gen. David Petraeus, head of the US Central Command, revealed a bombshell story that has been ignored: Iran is helping al-Qaida attack Americans.

Iran, he said in military-speak, provides “a key facilitation hub, where facilitators connect al-Qaida’s senior leadership to regional affiliates.”

Lebanon is being further integrated into an Iran-Syria alliance.

Meanwhile, Hizbullah, which enjoys veto power in Lebanon’s government, isn’t just building apartments, it’s building fortifications and importing record amounts of weapons.

It is now clear that Russia and China won’t support sanctions on Iran. The Obama administration’s plan is in major trouble and there’s no way out, except to do the most minimal possible sanctions and claim victory.

Russia openly defies the Obama administration by insisting it will finish a nuclear plant for Iran, just when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is visiting. This was a real slap in the face, much bigger strategically than the apartment issue in Jerusalem. But there will be no strong reaction from Washington.

So Russia still isn’t ready to support sanctions and isn’t building apartments in Iran but rather a nuclear reactor.

China isn’t building apartments in Iran but developing oil fields and building a huge oil refinery, plus reportedly supplying weapons.

DESPITE US concessions aimed to reduce Syria’s alliance with Iran, their bond is getting stronger...

There are increasing signs of Turkey’s close cooperation with the Iran-Syria axis. Both Ahmadinejad and the official Syrian government newspaper SANA now call Turkey an ally of Syria and Iran.


So let’s leave it to Ahmadinejad to summarize how things seem to Iran, Syria, Hamas, Hizbullah and lots of Arabs both pro- and anti-American: The Americans, Ahmadinejad said, “not only have failed to gain any power, but also are forced to leave the region. They are leaving their reputation, image and power behind in order to escape... The [American] government has no influence [to stop]... the expansion of Iran-Syria ties, Syria-Turkey ties and Iran-Turkey ties – God willing, Iraq too will join the circle.”

The administration’s policies aren’t making the radicals more moderate but rather – by feeding their arrogance and belief in American weakness – making them more aggressive.


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A similar article has also been written:

"Israel's New Enemy: America?"


"Enemy: "a person who feels hatred for, fosters harmful designs against, or engages in antagonistic activities against another; an adversary or opponent." — Dictionary.com

Despite Vice President Joe Biden's recent pledge of unswerving fidelity to Israel during his recent visit there, the rhetoric and pressure directed by the Obama administration against the only fully functioning democracy in the Middle East more accurately resembles the behavior of an enemy. Increasingly under this administration — but also present in Republican administrations — America's policy toward Israel is full of "harmful designs" and "antagonistic activities." The intentions may not be deliberate, but the outcome would lead to the same injurious end.

The failure of this formula has been evident for decades, but U.S. policy continues to employ it, always with the
Israel always ends up getting its pocket picked.

A Washington Post headline illustrates the deteriorating relationship between the two nations, "U.S. Pushes Netanyahu to Accept 3 Demands." There is no similar demand that the Palestinians and especially Hamas, which has said it will agree to nothing less than the eradication of Israel

In this twisted thinking, whatever Israel does is unjustified so long as the Palestinian-Arab-Muslim side is unhappy. What part of annihilation does the State Department not understand? What State is blind to is that the "Israeli-Palestinian conflict," as it is erroneously labeled, is part of a worldwide religious war against all things Jewish, Christian, secular, modern and We
.

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One who follows prophecy can't help but think of the two main warnings over Israel - one from Genesis 12:3:

"I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse"

and, of course Zechariah 12:3

"On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations"

Note that there are no exclusions granted, say, for ANY nations, including the U.S.

With this in mind, the article below is a "must read"...One can disagree with the opinion, but it is impossible to disagree with the facts presented.

"I Will Bless Those Who Bless You"

In this article, Jack Kelly presents a timeline which describes tangible actions against Israel and the immediate consequences. I personally do not believe that this can be a coincidence. I'll just put the concluding paragraph below:

We need to forget everything else where Israel is concerned and remember this one thing. God has claimed that land for Himself. No power on Earth is great enough to give even one inch of it to anyone else at any time for any reason without suffering the consequences. In the US we now have eleven clear examples of that truth. How many will it take before we learn?

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Headlines

There are so many news articles today, there is only space for the main headlines and a few quotes of interest:

Quakes

"Magnitude 5.6 strikes near Guantanamo, Cuba"

"5.3-Magnitude quake hits in Guatemala"

"Light Quake Hits Northern Israel"

Additional Quakes"

4.7 Mexico
4.8 Cuba
4.7, 4.8 Chile
6.2, 4.8 Solomon Islands region
4.8 Fiji

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Israel under (constant) attack:


"Investigative Reports on Sderot"

Quotes:


"Missile fire against Sderot and the western Negev began in January 2001. For the past 8 years, over 10,000 rockets have been launched towards Sderot and the western Negev. The Kassam rockets have claimed the lives of 28 Israelis; 9 of which were residents of Sderot, and 3 of whom were children. In addition, over 600 Israeli citizens have been injured and thousands have been psychologically traumatized by the rocket explosions. The rockets have damaged countless homes and properties in Sderot and thewestern Negev.

Sderot is located approximately 2.5 km away from Gaza, and absorbs most of the missiles fired from Gaza. The rockets have forced thousands of Sderot residents to leave the city and relocate elsewhere in Israel.

Katuysha rockets are used to target heavily populated Israeli cities like Ashkelon. Iranian-produced, 122mm Grad Katuysha rockets launched from Gaza have landed countless times in both industrial and residential areas of Ashkelon. In March 2008, a Katyusha rocket hit a busy Ashkelon mall, physically and psychologically wounding over 90 Israelis.


Also...


"Revealing rockets attacks against Israel"


"Four Kassam Rockets From Hamas/Gaza"

Quotes:

Hamas terrorists in Gaza continued their rocket onslaught against Israel over the Sabbath, firing four more Kassams at two different locations.

The Moslem terrorists have fired at least ten rockets at Israel this week.

Two of today's rockets were launched at the Ashkelon district, north of Gaza, and another landed in Shaar HaNegev, northeast of Gaza. A fourth rocket was fired at Shaar HaNegev on Saturday night.


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Persecution

"Jews say hate crimes and anti-Israel rage are driving some of them out their Swedish city"

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Israel stands firm:

"Israel won't change its policies"

"Israel won't back down in disputes with U.S."

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Iran and nuclear weapons:


One quote that seems to come directly from the pages of Ezekiel 38-39:

Even a surgical airstrike against Iran's nuclear installations, he warned, would touch off a much wider conflagration around the Persian Gulf and beyond. "It's not a war the United States needs right now," he said. "It would be disastrous to the wars we're already in [in Afghanistan and Iraq], and it would lead to a fourth war, one between Iran and Israel."


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"Column One: Obama's war on Israel"



Obama himself claims that he has launched a political war against Israel in the interest of promoting peace.

If Israel does not accept all four US demands, then the Obama administration will boycott Netanyahu and his senior ministers

Obama’s ultimatum makes clear that mediating peace between Israel and the Palestinians is not a goal he is interested in achieving.

Obama’s new demands follow the months of American pressure that eventually coerced Netanyahu into announcing both his support for a Palestinian state and a 10-month ban on Jewish construction in Judea and Samaria. No previous Israeli government had ever been asked to make the latter concession.

Netanyahu was led to believe that in return for these concessions Obama would begin behaving like the credible mediator his predecessors were. But instead of acting like his predecessors, Obama has behaved like the Palestinians. Rather than reward Netanyahu for taking a risk for peace, Obama has, in the model of Yasser Arafat and Mahmoud Abbas, pocketed Netanyahu’s concessions and escalated his demands. This is not the behavior of a mediator. This is the behavior of an adversary.

With the US president treating Israel like an enemy, the Palestinians have no reason to agree to sit down and negotiate. Indeed, they have no choice but to declare war.


And so, in the wake of Obama’s onslaught on Israel’s right to Jerusalem, Palestinian incitement against Israel and Jews has risen to levels not seen since the outbreak of the last terror war in September 2000. And just as night follows day, that incitement has led to violence. This week’s Arab riots from Jerusalem to Jaffa, and the renewed rocket offensive from Gaza are directly related to Obama’s malicious attacks on Israel.


Obama has made clear that he is not Israel’s ally. And for the remainder of his term, he will do everything he can to downgrade US relations with Israel while maintaining his constant genuflection to the likes of Iran, Syria, the Palestinians and Turkey.


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A lot of news for one day. Things are progressing just as one would expect, based upon biblical prophecy. As mentioned before - every single prophetic sign that we have been given (no exceptions) are moving forward at breakneck speed.

I can almost hear the trumpet call.










Saturday, March 20, 2010

In the news...

Today, as usual we can categorize the news in terms of biblical prophecy:

1. The world aligned against Israel:

"Indonesia: Thousands attend anti-Israeli rally"


2. Russian involvement in the Middle-East:

"Quartet host Russia: A new broker for Israel peace?"

First the quotes:


As the Middle East Quartet met in Moscow today amid high US-Israel tensions, some see an opportunity for host Russia to return as a key player in Israel peace talks with the Palestinians.

...experts say that Moscow and Washington appear to be increasingly on the same page about the way forward in managing the long-running conflict, and the present situation offers a fresh opportunity to work together toward a common goal.

Mr. Kremeniuk says that Moscow has noted that the Obama administration appears to be edging away from Bush-era uncritical support for Israel, toward a view that sees US interests better served by a Middle East settlement that will satisfy Palestinian aspirations, even if it involves twisting Israel's arm more than in the past.



There are several ominous statements from this article. First, we see that Russia, like the EU is now a "key player" in Israeli affairs. What is wrong with this? Well, for starters, we know from Ezekiel 38-39 that Russia will be involved in a massive invasion of Israel. (we have the advantage of biblical prophecy, which lets us know such information). One would assume that Russia (like the EU) does NOT have Israel's best interests in mind. Talk about the "fox guarding the henhouse" - this is a perfect example.

Secondly, and perhaps more ominously, we see that the U.S. is aligning with Russia. Again, more evidence that the Obama administration is no friend of Israel - not a surprising development to those who have been watching this administration with a keen eye on prophecy.

This article just presents yet more information relating to the well-known concept that the entire world will be aligned against Israel.


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Last but not least, we see another article devoted to the Iran-Israel situation:

"Bomb Iran or Let Them Get the Bomb?"

Quotes:

The chattering class is starting to say Iran’s nuclear program can’t be stopped, but might be contained. They argue that even if Iran gets nuclear weapons, they probably wouldn’t use them.
Try telling one that to Israel – you know the line that says even if the Holocaust-denying, Armageddon-threatening Iranian president has his finger on the button he won’t press it. The Israelis understand the odds, but it’s the stakes they don’t like.

The Obama administration’s allies have floated a trial balloon by declaring that we can deter Iran but extending a defense “umbrella” over the region. They argue that nuclear deterrence kept the peace between the U.S. and Soviet Union during the Cold War, so why wouldn’t it keep the peace with in a nuclear Middle East?

The problem with this argument is that it ignores the obvious – that deterrence, or mutually assured destruction (MAD) kept the peace between the U.S. and Soviet Union because each side knew if it launched a first strike, the other side would survive to launch a second strike.
But nuclear deterrence doesn’t solve Israel’s problem. It would be cold comfort to Israel if the U.S. promises to attack Iran after Iran nuked -- and vaporized -- Israel.


This article says it all:

"It would be cold comfort to Israel if the U.S. promises to attack Iran after Iran nuked -- and vaporized -- Israel"

Fortunately we know that Israel will not be destroyed. God will intervene when things look the bleakest - when Israel has no where else to turn - when they are in their most desperate moments - God will show up, and God will show up in a BIG way.

That moment seems to be drawing near - and God's intervention is a promise from God Himself and it is one of the most clear, unambiguous prophecies that we have:

"I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord." (Ezekiel 38:23)

and if there was any remaining doubt about this prophecy:

"I will make known my holy name among my people Israel...and the nations will know that I the Lord am the Holy One in Israel. It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign Lord. This is the day I have spoken of." (Ezekiel 39:7-8)

There is absolutely no doubt that these epic events will take place. The only question is "when"?

Based upon recent events in the region, the answer seems to be "soon".